What’s the perfect way of having a Philippine travel tour? Touring the cities? Touring the countryside? A new trend being discovered today by many tourists is a travel tour with or among the people.
The traditional travel tour in the Philippines is to ride in posh tourist bus and lodge in classy hotels. But a new revolutionary way of doing a travel tour in the country is to travel and live among the common people. It’s a unique way of experiencing the Philippines. Common travel tours only afford beautiful sights of the country, but not its life and heart. Often, what the tourist gets with traditional travel tours are on-the-spot sceneries of what Philippine post cards show. The tourist misses the most important Philippine sight of all---real life in the country.
A travel tour with and among the people is a “live” travel tour. It’s opting to take rides in public jeepneys and ordinary buses on highways and byways, taking in dust, smoke, and the various smells of the cities. It is a travel tour of actually taking rides in crisscrossing and zooming tricycles and slow moving pedicabs. This radical travel tour opts for taking walks along sidewalks, crossing pedestrian lanes, climbing up and down overpasses and underpasses, and standing in line in bus, cabs, and train stations, or in buses and trains themselves, rubbing elbows with ordinary Filipinos.
This unusual travel tour option also means hiking long hours to get to the next town or barrio, or riding on carabao’s (native water buffalo) back, or hitching ride on a bamboo sled pulled by a native cow or carabao. This strange travel tour means riding makeshift canoes on rivers, crossing rice paddies, or hacking away at wild bushes to establish a new dirt path.
Finally, this travel tour option means asking lodging and board among residents in small apartments or bungalows in crowded city communities, or in huts or makeshift shanties in simple rural villages. It means eating native dishes (with bare hands) with common native folks and sleeping in creaking beds with natural air conditioning through wide open windows. With some 70 percent of the whole population forming the masses, we can safely assume that this is the Philippines.
Thus, with this travel tour alternative one sees and feels the true Philippines---the sights, smells, sounds, and people. And it’s the perfect travel tour to experience the heart and soul of the country. Then the tourist leaves, better equipped in heart of what the Philippines is really about.
Planning to visit Samar? A trip to this province can always be worthwhile because of the various Samar transportation options available to you. It is best for travelers to consider a more convenient and most appropriate means of transportation for them. Bear in mind that when traveling, you need to consider the time of travel as well as the cost of each mode of transportation.
From Manila, there are a wide range of travel options at your disposal. There are no direct flights to Samar so the best alternative to book a flight to either Tacloban or Cebu. Although Masbate is nearer to Samar, the province has no airports.
By air, there are daily scheduled flights from Manila to Tacloban City. Travel time is an hour and thirty minutes. The cost for a one way trip is between PHP2,000 to PHP3,500. Try to find some promotional offers from various carriers to get some discounts. There are carriers that reduce costs below PHP2,000 during promotional offers. Once you reach Tacloban City, there are various land transportation options going to Samar. Buses, jeeps, or airconditioned vans will take you to the picturesque San Juanico Bridge going to Samar.
An alternative Samar transportation option is by taking a bus from Manila. There are bus terminals in Pasay City and Cubao that leave daily night and day. The travel time is a gruelling twelve hours to the island of Matnog in Sorsogon. From there, you will ride a ferry. As soon as the bus disembarks the ferry, it will take you to the terminal in Samar.
The bus trip will have a stop over every 3 to 4 hours at a restaurant or terminal along the route. This gives you a chance to do some stretching and feed your hungry stomach. Some of the bus lines that traverse this route include Victory Liner, CUL Transport, Philtranco, Silverstar, and Eaglestar.
When you arrive in Samar, you will find the usual modes of transportation such as buses, jeepneys, or airconditioned vans. Occasionally, there are motorbikes custom fitted with roofs traveling around the province and even crossing San Juanico Bridge.
If all flights going to Tacloban City are fully booked, your best option is to travel to Cebu and make your way from there. From Manila to Cebu, a one way ticket costs PHP2,500. Of course, this is the best route if you are coming from Cebu. The cost of flights going to Tacloban is around PHP2,000 with daily flights leaving the airport. Another transportation option from Cebu is to ride a passenger ship going to Leyte. From there, you can travel by land.
These are the different Samar transportation options that you can consider when planning a trip to this province. Always go for the option that gives you the best value for your money.
Scooters are fast becoming a popular Philippine transportation today. However, there are some disadvantages in using scooters. A careful consideration of these disadvantages would help make scooters still a much preferred Philippine transportation.
Scooters are too light to take on major roads, let alone on highways. They can easily be side-swept by fast cars especially in Philippine major thoroughfares. Trucks are much heavier side-weepers that pose a greater danger to scooters. This light transportation is often taken in fast lanes where it virtually becomes impossible for scooters to assume effective defensive driving. Scooter-riding on major roads and highways poses a great danger to both its passengers and other motorists. The wise thing is to keep scooters on secondary roads and minor street systems.
Scooters are easy transportation targets for car-nappers and car-jackers. There have been many instances in Philippine transportation of scooters snatched or grabbed from owners. The same is true with parked scooters. Transportation thieves can easily get away with such light transportations. Some car-nappers load them in small vans and easily get away without being noticed. So the safe thing to do is to use scooters only in safe and secure vicinities, and keep them parked inside the house or in buildings.
Scooters expose its passengers to the elements. This transportation mode offers no protection to its riders against rain, searing heat from humidity and nearby vehicular engine heat, harmful sunlight, dust, pollution, and flying debris. Helmets and jackets or raincoats are not enough transportation protection, especially in extreme cases. Water splashes from accumulated water on streets are also potential dangers to this open transportation vehicle.
So it’s best to schedule travel on a scooter on sunny days, early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Aside from wearing a gas mask, helmet and jacket, bring an emergency raincoat and a pair of boots as a regular transportation preparation. And make sure to plan a transportation route that affords plenty of sheds and covers, like a tree studded lane and tall buildings along the road.
Finally, scooters cannot accommodate a family. They are inappropriate as a family transportation, or even for simple family roaming in the park. Most importantly, scooters cannot be used for emergencies. It can hardly be used to rush a pregnant mother to the hospital, or a seriously ill or injured patient.
Scooters are a good Philippine transportation option to meet the growing challenges of traffic in the country. But there are disadvantages that need to be remedied to keep scooters a wise option.
When new in a locality in the Philippines, the first travel challenge is how to go around the place without getting lost. Most neighborhoods in the country have seemingly endless and odd routes For new comers they’re sure formulas for getting lost. How do we overcome this first-timers’ travel pitfall?
To get familiar with a place, it always pays to roam around the vicinity on weekends, especially on the first day of arrival. Consider it one’s first schedule for leisure travel. After locking all doors in the house (and bringing the key along), walk around the block. Then walk around several blocks, then around the district. Don’t use a car. Walk and ride public vehicles. Getting lost may be good here.
Use every public vehicle seen around---travel on buses, jeepneys, tricycles, pedicabs. Study all routes going north, east, west, and south from one’s location. Enter every road, street, or alley that seems safe. Ask around where certain paths lead to. Study how to get there from one’s place, and vice versa, not getting lost.
Very important route studies are the following: travel route from home to food stores, home to drugstores, home to the nearest clinic and hospitals, home to the nearest police station and barangay outpost, home to the nearest fire station, and home to one’s work place---all without getting lost.
How far should one go with these travel route studies? The best thing is to go as far as where the work place is. From home to work place, study vicinity routes. Get a map. Draw a circle using one’s home as the center and the work place as starting point of the perimeter. That circle is one’s targeted route study. Do it per area. One area this weekend, another next weekend, and so on, without getting lost.
What if a work place is two cities away from home? That’s a big circle to draw, and a huge area to target for travel route study. The remedy here is to choose an apartment near the work place. That limits route study and getting lost. But if there’s no choice, then by all means, get that huge route study started---even if it covers 6 cities. Do it an area at a time. Think of it as a short weekend excursion.
It’s very important to get familiar with a place for travel convenience. After all, getting lost is a most unwelcome experience when one’s new in the neighborhood.
The capital of the Philippines’ ecotourism is none other than Puerto Princesa and this vacation destination is known all over the world for its pristine white sand beaches, luxury hotels, excellent restaurants and exceptional hospitality. If one is planning to visit Puerto Princesa, it’s a good idea to read up on what are one’s available options when it comes to Puerto Princesa transportation.
Because Palawan is an island, this is not accessible via land travel alone and the quickest Puerto Princesa transportation to get here would be to ride a plane. From Manila, one can take an hour and a half flight and land at the Puerto Princesa airport. This airport not only caters to domestic flights but also international ones. Seair, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are the biggest carriers that land in Puerto Princesa. During peak season, be prepared to spend around Php5000 to php8000 but when this season dies, promotional offers left and right could bring the air fares down significantly. A reminder if one taking this Puerto Princesa transportation is to make sure to reconfirm one’s flight bookings at least a day prior to departure.
If one is coming from a neighboring country of the Philippines such as Malaysia or Indonesia, it is possible to get to Puerto Princesa via boat. This mode of Puerto Princesa transportation can be significantly lengthy as compared to travelling by air but if one wants to see other islands before docking at Palawan’s capital, this is a good option. Travel time could take up to 26 hours.
In terms of Puerto Princesa transportation within the city itself, there are so many options and this can be attributed to the fact that this island caters to a significant number of tourists especially during peak season. To get to the other islands in Palawan, a good choice of Puerto Princesa transportation would be chartered boats and the more people take this option, the cheaper the per head rate becomes.
To get to destinations within the city though, there are jeepneys, buses, tricycles and multi-cabs. These are really all you need to get to just about anywhere in Puerto Princesa. If going to the town proper, there are several buses there that leave every hour to other areas outside Puerto Princesa or to drop by famous tourist sights within the city, a tricycle is a good option. What’s particularly good about the different types of Puerto Princesa transportation is that the drivers are conversant in both Filipino and English, and they are extremely accommodating.
Looking for a cheap ride that will drop one off at the exact address? A cab is too expensive and a jeepney will only go so far. A bus won’t fit in alleys. So what’s the remaining option? A tricycle ride.
The tricycle is a Philippine transportation vehicle that rules inner roads and alleys. Well, on second thought, it rules even highways at times. It can go from one street corner to the next, or one town to the next, or one city to the next. There are times when it goes from province to province. Why not, when in fact it is actually a motorcycle?
When the tricycle was first used as a Philippine transportation vehicle, no one seems to know. A few claim they hadn’t seen the thing before the Japanese time. Many aver tricycles started appearing on the road scene after World War II. Others declare it almost co-existed with the converted GI army jeeps. Accordingly, excess body parts left after the conversions were used to assemble sidecars attached to motorcycles, and thus the “tricycle” that has been known since in Philippine transportation.
The tricycle is a Philippine transportation vehicle that is so versatile. It is adaptable in rural and urban applications. It can serve passengers rain or shine. It can take one to several street corners, the next town, or even the next city or province for the right contract fare. Tricycles are known to rule even national highways.
For instance, they are seen amid MacArthur Highway leading a train of cars, buses, and trucks behind them, which often cannot overtake and have to keep pace with them. This Philippine transportation three-wheeled vehicle can traverse highways, city streets, inner roads, alleys, dirt paths, and even in places where there are no identifiable pathways. Tricycles strike anywhere.
Normally, a tricycle can accommodate 4 passengers (including the driver), if safety measures are considered. But often one will see this Philippine transportation vehicle carrying 10 to 20 passengers, mostly daring students or youths, squeezed in the sidecar and at the backseat behind the driver, some hanging from the rear and side of the sidecar and more atop its roof.
This Philippine transportation mini vehicle is often seen carrying loads of market goods, hardware, or furniture and appliances. Tricycles even act as ambulances carrying patients or the injured to hospitals.
Nothing beats the versatile Philippine tricycle, which can be the third wonder of Philippine transportation, following the crazy jeepney and the monstrous traffic.
Looking for a place of natural beauty and magnificence? Then, the one of the best place in the Philippines is Legazpi City. Located at the Bicol Region (Region Five), Legazpi City is famous for its 'magayong maray!' ('very beautiful'-in local Bicol dialect) Mayon Volcano. Its world-renowned ‘perfect cone’ had been the reason why tourist and visitors were flabbergasted and dumbfounded throughout the years. Nonetheless, throughout recorded history, its eruption had been proved lethal and had compromised the lives and properties of locals. Still, nobody can fathom its irresistible aura and charisma. One of the best sites here in Legazpi City, is the Cagsawa Ruins where tourists and visitors would see the bell tower which stand as a silent witness and survivor of one of the most violent upsurge of this beautiful volcano.
If visitors and tourists alike want some nature tripping, the right place is definitely the Albay Park and Wildlife. Tourists can experience a taste of heritage and culture at the only public museum at the Bicol Region-The Legazpi City Museum. Visitors could appreciate and see the other side of Mayon Volcano by checking the Lignon Hill which is located at the back of the Albay Park and Wildlife. These noted places would in a way or two, would emphasize the stay or visit in this lovely place.
As always, tourists and visitors should never forget to capture these moments by having a camera. Of course, knowing where to stay and where to go would definitely make the visit worthwhile. Adventure is one facet of the journey, but planning is certainly a crucial factor to make things okay for the rest of the tour. Travel agencies are available to ensure this need. One of the noted agencies is the EnGrande Tours and Travel. Located in Metropolitan Manila at Parañaque City, the company has been helpful for tourists for the past five years. They cater international and domestic tour the whole year round. The full company profile is available at the internet. Better be checking it real time for latest updates and information.
Mayon Volcano has been the symbol of the Bicolanos (native of Bicol) throughout the years. The volcano has been the representation of the warm welcome Bicolanos give to their visitors through their food (literally speaking) since they love to put spices on their menus or dishes and their special hospitality. 'Mos kita na! Magayon digdi!' (Let us go! It is wonderful (to stay) here!
Nowhere else in the world can ingeniously innovated army jeeps be seen racing along inner roads and main highways except in the Philippines. The “jeepney,” a coined word in Philippine transportation jargon, means an army jeep in its civilian (not necessarily smaller) version. The jeepney, with its driver, is commonly referred today in Philippine transportation as the “King of the Road.”
It was first conceptualized after World War II when US army jeeps used in the war littered the war-torn streets of devastated Manila. After mapping and cleaning up operations the damaged army jeeps remained crowding up the city. The Americans were reluctant to take the huge junk back home so they left without the war relic with them. Philippine transport ingenuity came into the picture.
How could Filipinos re-use the metal scraps? The body was good and the motor was a bit salvageable. With a little imagination and tinkering skill, they came up with a demilitarized jeep they christened “Jeepney.” Furthermore, with a little art work and resourceful upholstery, the whole thing became transport-friendly and was soon test-run on the road.
The first jeepneys were short Philippine transport public vehicles with front and back seats. The back seats were lateral, making two rows of passengers facing each other. Only three persons per row could sit. The front seat accommodated three passengers, driver included. Later, these Philippine transport vehicles were embellished with waving bright colored ribbons, miniature metal models of horses or planes, toy wind mills, ribboned steering wheel and shift stick, and small mirrors and more hangings everywhere.
Much later the Philippine transport artists came in. They rendered the thing in full color, with liberal amounts of multi-colored stripes and arcs and curves, making it look like a Muslim vinta on the road. The jeepney’s ceiling was painted with rustic scenes of native huts and rice fields, coconut palms dancing in the wind. Right above the driver’s seat were painted names in wavy styles, often names of the driver’s wife and kids, or mistresses.
Today, the jeepney is a modernized 21-seater Philippine transport vehicle equipped with stereo components and loud speakers, push buttons, roving and fog lights, electric fans, tweeters, buzzers, and other fancy accessories for a hit-tech look. The driver even has a “co-pilot” beside him. Some jeepneys in Makati are even fully air conditioned.
Philippine transport has a superstar in the jeepney---this road king of a public vehicle ingeniously derived from a vintage US war jeep.
When going long distance travel to Central or Northern Luzon the best option is take the Northern Luzon Expressway or the NLEX. There’s also the MacArthur Highway option beginning at the Andres Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan, or the Quirino Avenue Option at the Cloverleaf Interchange at EDSA in Quezon City, but the NLEX is the fastest, trouble-free route.
What does the NLEX has to offer long-distance travelers?
Taking the NLEX will update the motorist on traffic guidelines very relevant to the vicinity to make the needed precaution or speed adjustment in a long distance travel. These are highway signage posts similar to those found in Australia andother western countries.
One of the NLEX’s objectives is safe driving. To this end, emergency telephone stops are now visible along the NLEX. Telephone stops are posted every 2 kilometers from the Cloverleaf or Balintawak to Burol (Bulacan) stretch, and every kilometer from the Burol to Sta. Ines (Pampanga) stretch. This feature makes for a safe 88-kilometer long distance travel. Some 7 rest and service areas are provided, 14 toll plazas, and 15 exit points.
Aside from its hi-tech close-circuit TV, the NLEX is equipped with underground car density censors to check vehicle weight and make. Motorists should take heed on the indicated speed limits posted along the way. There are hidden speed guns to check car speed on the road, and a violator may be in for a surprise at the toll gate when the highway patrol guys approach for questioning. The fastest recorded car speed so far is 320 km/hr made by a converted Nissan Skyline.
The NLEX also features state-of-the-art digital toll payment for fast transactions to lessen the build up of vehicles waiting in line. There are also provisions for prepaid methods for extra fast service. Best of all, the NLEX has smoothly paved eight lanes, with provisions for shoulder emergency stops and a sandy byway for dealing with loose or failing brakes. This makes the NLEX the best long distance travel highway in the country.
Speed limit in Metro Manila (at Balintawak and parts of Andres Bonifacio Avenue) is at 80 km/hr, while in rural areas it’s at 100 to 120 km/hr. However, the NLEX continues to be a favorite venue, not only for long distance travel, but also for testing fast cars. A surefire drainage system keeps the NLEX free from the usual flood hassles that not only induce motor failure but windshield obstruction in fast lanes.
The next time a long distance travel is contemplated to Central or Northern Luzon, take the NLEX and enjoy safe and comfortable driving on world class lanes.
A vacation in the Philippines wouldn’t be the same if you didn’t get a chance to ride on a jeepney. So if you are planning on traveling to these islands, then here are some tips on how to travel by jeepney.
A Jeepney is a simple and efficient means of transportation once you get the hang of getting on one. They can take you almost anywhere and give you quite an adventure at the same time.
Getting on a jeepney is quite simple, first of all make sure that you are standing on a sidewalk where it is legal for public vehicles such as jeepneys to load and unload passengers. The key is to watch out for other people who are also waiting for jeepneys, they often make a small crowd when waiting.
The route of a jeepney is often written on a placard placed in the windshield of the vehicle. Next you have to decide if that route will be going or passing by the place you’re trying to go to, if it is, then wave your hand as you would a taxi to let the driver know that you are getting on. Otherwise, if you know that it’s not going or passing through the destination you’re going to then avoid calling the attention of the driver and wait for another jeepney to come your way.
However if you are not sure whether the jeepney’s route is passing through where you’re going then you can wave your hand like you would a taxi and politely ask the driver if it is going where you want to. If you are not familiar with Tagalog you could say the destination where you’re going and the driver will answer if they will pass there or not. The Philippines has a good grasp of English so more than likely you will have no problems communicating your travel plans.
Once you are inside the jeepney you have to pay the driver your fare. It’s alright to ask how much is the fare for the destination you’re going to. You can do this by saying “Magkano sa…” followed by the destination your going to. Once you know how much, you can pay the driver anytime along the ride. You can do this by saying “Bayad po.” Then simultaneously hand over you fare.
Paying earlier is more polite so pay as soon as possible as it prevents the driver or the conductor from franticly coming up with your change when you reach your destination. If you are seating far from the driver and the conductor, other passengers are more than willing to lend a hand in giving your money towards the driver or conductor, just make sure that when you pay you’ve got their attention. If you didn’t, you can ask them to help you by saying. “Makiki abot po.”
Lastly, going down the jeepney is quite simple. You do this by tugging on the string that is placed at the ceiling of the vehicle or knock on the roof with a quick rapping sound as if knocking on a door. You can also say “Para” to the driver to inform him that you are getting off.
Sometimes it takes more than one jeepney to go to your destination so be prepared to get off one and get on another. Filipino locals are very helpful and friendly so don’t hesitate to ask for directions if ever you’re in need.
So, now that you know the basics on how to use the jeepney, you can freely travel around the city streets of Philippines and explore all of its wonders. Traveling around the Philippines is more fun and authentic full of adventure if you’re riding on jeepneys.